IEBC to gazette 14,500 candidates by June 24

June 20, 2017 9:34 am

Chiloba at the Capital FM Studios as he was interviewed by Renee Ngamau, Capital In the Morning host/CFM

By SIMON NDONGA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 20 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is set to gazette the names of 14,500 candidates taking part in the August polls by Saturday.

Speaking to Capital FM News, the electoral body’s Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba said that currently, the process is ongoing to see how the candidates will appear on the ballot papers before printing.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We have just completed the nomination process. So far we have 14,500 candidates that we are supposed to gazette in the course of this week,” he stated.

“This morning, we are just meeting to look at how those candidates appear on their respective ballot papers for purposes of printing. We are getting there and in due course we should be able to publish the names of the candidates participating,” he added.

Chiloba further revealed that preparations for the August 8 General Elections are at an advanced stage.

“I believe that you will see more of us during this campaign period trying to engage with citizens in terms of their responsibilities and duties when it comes to voting,” he said.

“This morning we are meeting to approve the names for printing and we should be sending them to the printer the day after tomorrow.”

He also said the poll agency hopes to finalise hearing appeals relating to nomination of candidates by Tuesday in order to allow the release of the artwork for the ballot papers to the contractor.

Chiloba said any attempt to nullify the contract awarded to Dubai-based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC and send the poll agency back to the drawing board would be a recipe for chaos.

He defended the Commission’s decision to go for direct tendering in awarding the contract to the Dubai-based firm and procurement challenges that had been raised about it before the High Court and Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPRA).